The Sunday Post #57 (Spoiler Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Good morning everyone!  I hope you've all been well and are enjoying the warmer weather!  While summer is probably my least favorite season - I am appreciating the warmer weather after all of the rain that we were getting there for awhile.  It's another busy weekend over here but I've been mulling some thoughts over for awhile now and wanted to get everyone's opinion.

Okay so here's the deal.  Last week (or the week before) I started reading No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen which is the second book in a mystery series.  According to Goodreads, I finished reading the first book back in December of 2017.  So it had been awhile and honestly when I started this book and the author referred to events that had happened in book one....well, I was a bit lost.  I couldn't remember the ending of that first book and how everything went down.  I ended up searching Goodread's reviews for spoilers so I could refresh myself on that first book.  Honestly, this isn't the first time that's happened especially as I read so many different series.  I also try to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible which means I don't end up giving a lot of details on the plot.  Here's where I need your opinion.  I'm thinking that I'm going to change the way that I write my reviews of books.  I'm going to write up my thoughts like I normally do - and then in a marked paragraph I'm going to discuss my thoughts with spoilers and as many details as I like.  I'm thinking that I will post this paragraph at the very end so that those who don't want to see spoilers can just read my thoughts and skip that section.  The only times that I won't do this is if I'm reading/reviewing a book as part of a blog tour.  Blog tour books are for people to actually visit my blog and read my thoughts on the book so I don't feel like I should include spoilers in that kind of post.  But I want to really be able to remember what I read so for other books, why shouldn't I discuss everything or anything I want to?  What are your feelings on all of this?  How do you remember the details from all of the books that you read?  Or don't you....I sure don't!

Reading wise, I'm chugging right along at about the same reading pace as I have been all year.  I have a bunch of books that I need to write up my thoughts on so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts on the above.  My review copies have really been stacking up lately so I'm trying to focus almost entirely on them in June.  I did this in April and felt like it helped make the stack a bit more manageable.  That hasn't stopped me from putting WAY too many books on hold at the library or checking too many out.  Because some things never change and I AM a mood reader through and through.  In the past week (or so), I've finished the following two books:

Deadly Obsession by April Hunt - This is the beginning to a new romantic suspense series and I really enjoyed it.  I love romantic suspenses but there is a fine line between what works for me in this genre and what doesn't.  I'm hoping to write up my thoughts on this one soon but I will definitely say that I'm planning on reading more in this series!

Summer on Mirror Lake by JoAnn Ross - This is a small town contemporary romance that I read for an upcoming TLC book tour.  My thoughts on this one will be up later this week.  I will admit that I'm confused on if this is a part of a series or not - I need to research that further.  There are a lot of characters to keep track of but I found it an enjoyable read perfect for summertime.

I'm now currently reading the following:

I'm also reading this for an upcoming TLC book tour later this month.  It has been awhile since I read one of this author's books but I'm really enjoying it so far!  I'm sensing a need for a thriller or mystery next after these three books.  I'm also considering starting Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land to read alongside my current book.  We are into June already and I have yet to pick up any nonfiction - I REALLY wanted to read more nonfiction this year so this is something I need to focus on more.  Especially as I'm constantly adding nonfiction books to my TBR list but then never reading them.  I don't usually read two print books at once but I'm thinking I might change things up a bit with a nonfiction book instead of my usual e-book.

I'm writing this early because plans for today include baseball games.  If we aren't at the fields all day then I'm going to work on laundry and getting the house ready for the week.  I've been watching the Harry Potter movies this weekend as my husband and daughter are away at a softball tournament.  I'm not a huge television nut but I always love marathoning the Harry Potter movies (and not feeling bad when I make my husband watch them for the umpteenth time)!  I'm off to enjoy my Sunday and this beautiful weather!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading (April 8th)

"It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date."

Happy Monday everyone!  It's a bit of a later post over here but I really wanted to share a quick reading update with all of you.  I love sharing my thoughts on books with reviews but I really want to mix it up more here on the blog.  That takes time though which isn't always something I have a lot of.  Are you following me on Instagram yet?  If not you can find me @samsbooks1020 (you can also find me on Twitter and Goodreads with this same handle).  But anyways....on Instagram I mentioned that this month I'm trying to focus on reading some of the review copies that are piling up on my nightstand.  My pile was getting kind of high (for me at least) and I didn't want it to get out of control.  So far both of the books that I've read this month are off of that pile so I feel successful already!  My current read is a NetGalley book but this also counts since it is a review copy (I just mentioned my print copies on Instagram).  I'm SUPER behind on my NetGalley reads as well - although when am I not is probably an accurate statement honestly.  Regardless, I feel like I'm making some good progress and knocking out some of those "should" reads.  After this though I seriously need to mix in some backlist books because I'm slacking there this year.  I've been focusing so much this year on newer releases when I usually mix it up.  Maybe I'll do a backlist May or something.....but on to the books I've been reading!

Since my last reading update (which has been a couple of weeks) I've finished the following:

Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien was a fun cozy mystery that has me excited to read the other books in this series.  I've actually already shared my thoughts on it here if you are interested.

A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty was an amazing addition to this mystery series (book one just released last year so you don't have too many books to catch up on if you are interested).  This book was even better than book one - my thoughts will be up on this one hopefully later this week.

Fierce Justice by Piper J. Drake was an enjoyable romantic suspense and also the first book I finished off of my review stack this month.  I'll be sharing my full thoughts on it hopefully soon as well.

Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan was SO, SO good!  I'm really looking forward to sharing my thoughts on this one but I will tell you this - I felt a personal connection to this one which is why I couldn't help but love it so much.  SO good!

I'm now currently reading the following:

I'm really enjoying it so far but won't be sharing my thoughts on this one until next month.  I'm participating in a blog tour for it so will be sharing my review then.  I'm off to focus on my laundry piles and watch a little television.

Happy Monday!

The Sunday Post #55 (Reading Rambles Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Happy Sunday friends!  I've been reading up a storm lately (or at least it feels like it).  All I can really say is about time because neither January or February were very impressive for me in terms of reading numbers.  I'm still behind on my reading goal for Goodreads but now it's down to like three books behind on my reading schedule or something like that.  I'm sure I will catch up eventually....or I won't and that is okay too I suppose.  There hasn't been much else new around here otherwise.  My oldest and I have been driving more together as he is soon going to be able to get his license.  It's pretty crazy (and a bit stressful) to think about.  The time just flies!  Softball and baseball season is set to start up in a few short weeks which is exciting assuming the weather cooperates.  It's doubtful as we had a beautiful day yesterday and then overnight it snowed and covered the ground with about an inch again.  My youngest was not happy as he has been playing outside nonstop this week with the nicer weather.

Books wise I have finished four books in the last two weeks.  Two books each week which hasn't been my norm lately.  I finished the following books:

The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton was SO CREEPY!  This is one of my very favorite authors and there are so many reasons why but books like this are exactly why!  I'm still working on writing up my full thoughts on this book but hopefully I'll post my review sometime this week.

Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas was an absolutely delightful read that I enjoyed immensely.  This was my first read by Kleypas but it was just as good as I had heard it would be.  I'm so excited that I have so many of her other books to look forward to!  I've already shared my thoughts on this book here if you are interested.

Her Father's Secret by Sara Blaedel was a compelling mystery that is part of a series I'm looking forward to reading more of.  This is book two in the series and I'm going to need to go back and catch up with that first book soon.  It was a quieter read but I enjoyed it all the more because of it!  I also need to work on writing up my thoughts to this book as well.

The Better Sister by Alafair Burke was a thrilling read that kept me glued to the pages the entire time!  I loved the premise of this one and was so completely hooked that I couldn't set this book down.  This book doesn't come out until next month so I won't be sharing my thoughts until closer to the release date.  If you get the chance though, add this one to your TBR because it is worth the read for sure!

I'm now currently reading the following two books:

A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty is my current print read and I actually haven't started it yet.  I read the first book in this series (The Echo Killing) last year and really enjoyed it!  I've been looking forward to reading this one every since then.  On my kindle I'm reading Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien.  I actually haven't read the first two books in this series yet, but I've enjoyed what I've read of this one so far!  I'm looking forward to continuing on and hopefully reading this one later this afternoon.

Plans for the rest of the day include relaxing and laundry.  I'm looking forward to the new episode of the The Walking Dead tonight as usual.  I've actually been binge re-watching the series from the beginning and there are so many characters that I miss now!  Glenn - ugh!  But it is fun so I might watch a little bit more of that today as well.  I'm off to get my day started!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 18th)

"It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date."

Happy Monday folks!  It has been a crazy few weeks over here but not for the usual reasons.  Last week my dog got super sick.  At first we thought it was just a gastro type of thing as she wasn't eating anything.  After a few days of not eating I took her into the vet to make sure she hadn't eaten something that she shouldn't have (she's only two).  When by this Monday she was in even worse shape and still not eating back to the vet we went.  In a nutshell, she has been diagnosed with Addison's disease which means her body doesn't make cortisol like it should.  This sent her into an acute state where her kidneys were shutting down - it was basically awful.  We have an amazing vet that managed to figure it all out and get her the needed treatment.  I'm happy to say that she is on the road to recovery and getting back to her usual spazzy self that we know and love.  She will need monthly injections but should lead a normal healthy life otherwise.  We are so very grateful that she is here with us and healing.  All of this to say that I really haven't been reading.  No surprises there I'm sure.  Usually stress leads me to read more but honestly it did just the opposite this time.

As things are finally starting to settle down, I thought I would catch up with all of you and give you a reading update.  I was planning on trying to do more regular reading updates this year (you can probably see how well that is going).  I'm going to go ahead and just share what I've read so far in February and will consider myself caught up at this point.

Here is what I've finished so far this month:

Strangers in Death by J.D. Robb was a reread and helped me get out of the reading slump that I was starting to struggle with.  I always enjoy my time with the In Death series - they have become almost comfort reads for me.  I just love all of the characters so much so I always look forward to reading these books.

Stray Moon by Kelly Meding is the second book in an urban fantasy series.  I read and really enjoyed the first book Stray Magic last year.  This book was just as fast paced and compelling as book one.  I'm super hooked on this series now so it is going to be a long wait for the book three.  I'm planning on writing up my thoughts and sharing them later this week hopefully.

I'm currently reading the following:

I don't usually read three books but like I said - it has been a hard couple of weeks.  I actually just started Blink by K.L. Slater which is a review copy.  This book is absolutely huge because it also contains the novel Safe With Me by this author.  I don't plan on reading both books back to back but I'm enjoying this one so far.  On my e-reader I'm currently reading It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch.  I'm not very far into this one yet but I love the premise so I have high hopes.  Finally, I'm also "reading" River Bodies by Karen Katchur.  Technically I've set this one aside as it is overdue at the library and I'm planning on returning it.  I'll just go ahead and put it on the holds list again - I was a little over 100 pages in so I plan on finishing it but it is going to have to wait for now.  I'm off now to curl up and relax with a book.

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #54 (Winter Reading Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Good morning!  How's the weather where you are at?  We got hit with another six inches of snow this weekend and then the temps dropped.  It is supposed to be SUPER cold for the next few days so I will be leaving my house as little as possible.  This kind of weather always sounds like a good excuse for extra reading, doesn't it?  In actuality, it is business as usual as we are back to our normal and busy schedules.  When spring hits things will get really crazy but right now it is just lots of practices and running the kids to and from them.  In other news, I recently joined Instagram. Is anyone else on there?  I'm basically loving posting about books all of the time and really loving looking at all of the other bookish posts.  My Instagram handle is Samantha.1020bookedonafeeling if you want to follow me on there.  If you do let me know so I can follow you back!!  It has been a ton of fun but I will admit that it cuts into my reading time a bit.  There are some nights when all I do is scroll through Instagram (or bookstagram) rather then reading.  It's still lots of fun though so I'm enjoying it!

Reading wise I have started 2019 out strong with three books finished already.  I have a TON of books that I want to be reading right now thanks to all of my library holds coming in at once so it almost doesn't feel like enough.  I told myself though that I wasn't going to rush through books this year so I'm just enjoying my current read (and ignoring that stack that keeps calling my name).  LOL!    This year I have finished the following books:

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was an amazing way to start off my 2019 year of reading!  This was such a suspenseful read and I really enjoyed it!  I've already shared my thoughts on it here if you are interested in reading my full review.

Lost Lake by Emily Littlejohn was an incredible addition to one of my favorite mystery series.  You guys this series and these books are so good!  I was saying on Instagram that I'm just not sure why they don't get more attention.  They all have gorgeous writing and descriptions....I absolutely savored this one!  I can't wait for book four!  I will be working on writing up my thoughts on this one soon.

Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower was my first read off of my personal TBR challenge list.  I enjoyed this cozy mystery so much!  It was a really fun read that had me laughing out loud at a few points.  I was successful at knocking off a book that has been on my TBR for awhile now but it caused me to add the next book in the series on there instead.  LOL!  I will also be working on sharing my thoughts on this one soon!

I'm now currently reading the following:

I've had this one on my radar for a few months now.  It's so good so far!  I'm really enjoying it and have no clue what happened so many years ago.  I'm looking forward to finding out though!

I'm completely undecided on what to read next but I have a few calling my name including No Exit by Taylor Adams, Freefall by Jessica Barry, and Lisa Garder's upcoming release titled Never Tell.  So many books and just never enough time!!!  Or maybe I should throw a romance in there to mix it up.  What would you choose?  I'm off to start on laundry and get my day moving.  I hope all of you have a wonderful Sunday and three day weekend if you are lucky enough to get tomorrow off.

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Reads of 2018

Happy New Year!  It's pretty crazy to think we are in 2019 already - I've been blogging now since 2007 which is even crazier to think about.  I had a really great year of reading in 2018 which is always a good thing.  I managed to read 71 books which wasn't quite my goal but is up from last year so that makes me very happy.  It's been a great year in books and I'm hoping that the new year goes just as well.  I can tell you that I'm planning on "trying" to be more present in the new year.  We will see how it goes but that's the plan currently!  Let's move on to my top ten reads of 2018 though!

Look For Me by Lisa Gardner is book nine in the Detective D.D. Warren series but only my second book read by this author so far.  It is also the 2nd time this author (and series) has made it on my top reads list for the year.  That should tell you everything you need to know about these books and my love for this series!  I'm so completely pumped that I have a copy of the upcoming book in this series to read and hopefully love in the new year!

The Body Counter by Anne Frasier is the 2nd book in another amazing series that has fast become a favorite of mine!  I enjoyed the first book a ton but it was this second book that has placed this series on my must read list.  It is dark mystery series but super compelling!  I'm so excited that there looks to be another book coming out in 2019 - I will be there for it for sure!

Caged by Ellison Cooper is the beginning to a new mystery series that I just couldn't get enough of!  This was a dark and twisty page turner that I just couldn't put down.  I'm so excited to read more of this author and series in the new year!  2019 is going to be an amazing year of reading at this rate!

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier was such a dark and thrilling read!  I feel like that's almost a theme from my reading in 2018 (so I have no idea what that says about me and the books I enjoy but...).  This book was such a compelling read but it wasn't always easy to read.  I've read two books by this author so far - and both were amazing!  I can't wait to read more by her!

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine was one of the most intense books that I read this year.  It was heart pounding and such a complete page turner!  I luckily have the next two books in this series to look forward to reading in the new year.  This was a nonstop heart-pounding read that I just couldn't get enough of.  Easily a five star read and has cemented my love of this author and her books!

Watch The Girls by Jennifer Wolfe was a thriller like no other!  This one had some serious horror vibes to it and I just couldn't get enough of it!  I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next because she also takes dark and twisted to another level.  This book is probably the most underrated one on my list this year - I hope that other readers find it and enjoy it as much as I did!

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn was such a delightful beginning to this historical mystery series!  I adored my time with this book so much and am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series soon!  If you love mysteries with just a hint of romance (I'm sure hoping for more though) then I cannot recommend this series enough!

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons is the 3rd book in the D.I. Kim Stone series and the third five star read for me in it!  This is one of my must read series that I just adore.  Kim Stone is such a great main character that I can't get enough of!  I love these books and this series so much!

Blue Monday by Nicci French is the second book I've read in this series but actually the first book in this series.  I read this one in a day which goes to show how much I enjoyed this book.  I actually read this one while my husband was going through shoulder surgery which goes to show how much of a page turner this was for me that it could keep my attention during a stressful time.  I cannot wait to continue on with this series!

The Dry by Jane Harper was such an atmospheric mystery that I couldn't get enough of!  I'm so glad that I took the time to knock this one off of my TBR list because it was just amazing.  I found myself just swept away in the pages of this book.  I'm really looking forward to picking up book two in the new year.

Well there you are - my top ten reads for 2018!  I'm not going to even try to give honorable mentions this year because there would honestly be SO many!  There are just so many amazing authors that I read this year.  It's crazy looking back how amazing my year of reading really was.  So many good books, so many new series and authors to follow, and so little time!

Here's to hoping that 2019 is just as amazing!

The Sunday Post #53 (2019 Goals Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Happy Sunday everyone!  We are in the last Sunday of 2018 which basically means that I've been thinking about my reading goals for the upcoming year for weeks.  Yep, I'm a bit nutty like that!  In 2018, I focused on tracking my reading with a goal of 75 books read.  I'm not going to make it but I came close at 71 books read for the year.  I've been tracking my reading now since I started my blog and I think this number is pretty average to what I usually read.  Last year I only finished 59 books but the two years before I finished 80 each year.  I have never quite hit that golden number of 100 yet - the closest I have come is back in 2009 when I was able to finish 93 books.  I really haven't come that close since then.  I'm planning on working on wrapping up my 2018 reading year in a different post hopefully in the coming week.  I will also be sharing my top reads for 2018 soon as well.  Even though I don't think that I'll finish another book this year, I will wait until January 1st just to be sure.

Back to my reading goals for 2019 though!  I feel like I had a solid year of reading in 2018 so I would like to continue that trend in the new year.  I haven't quite settled on my Goodreads goal yet - do I aim high and shoot for an eighty book year which is more than I read this year?  Or do I lower my goal so that I am able to put less pressure on myself number wise and put more of a focus on the quality of what I'm reading?  Honestly, I just want to enjoy what I'm reading so really I'm not too stressed otherwise.  I do have some reading goals that I would like to meet though which include the following:

• Read one book a month from my TBR list - I did this in 2018 as well and was moderately successful.  I created a list of 50 books that had been on my TBR list since at least 2017 (no new 2018 releases included) and used the random number generator to pick a book off of my list to read.  I just didn't consistently try to read a book off of this list as much as I hoped that I would.  For the new year I have bumped up that list of books to one hundred and added any 2018 releases that I wanted to read but didn't get to.  I'm really hoping to make a dent in my TBR pile with this goal.  My first book for this goal in the new year will be Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower which is the beginning to a cozy mystery series that I've been wanting to try!
• Read more nonfiction - I add nonfiction books to my TBR list at an alarming rate when you consider how little of it I actually end up reading during the year.  I only read one nonfiction book this past year which is just pitiful.  There are SO many great sounding nonfiction reads out there so I really want to make an effort to read more of them in the new year!
• Share about each book that I read - This is one goal that I really, really want to focus on in the new year!  I've been horrible in writing up reviews this year and sharing my thoughts on books.  Honestly, I'm hoping that I'll continue working on catching up with my 2018 reviews in the new year but who knows if that will actually happen.  I would really like to do better with this in 2019!  Now that I'm on Instagram I'm also hoping to share about EVERY book that I read there as well as on Litsy!  I don't feel the need to write up reviews for rereads or books that are part of long series but I would like to share about them on these sites.  

And that's just about it!  There are other things - focus on reading more diversely and stretching my reading a bit more.....but these are my main three goals.  I'm going to continue to reread and binge on my favorite series.  I'm going to continue to switch up genres and try to keep my reading feeling fresh.  I'm sure that I'm going to try and read the many 2019 releases that sound absolutely amazing (and are already adding to my TBR list).  I love the fresh start feeling that a new year always brings!  And I'm excited to bring that feeling to my reading in the new year!  What goals do you have for your reading in the new year?

A quick reading update though before I wrap this post up...

The Long Goodnight (The Grimm Files) by Selene Charles will most likely be my last read of 2018.  I am such a HUGE fan of this series at this point and am anxiously awaiting the third book.  I'll be sharing my thoughts on this one soon but I recommend it!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen will be my first read of 2019 but I'm starting it this afternoon.  The hype on this one is huge so I can't wait to check it out for myself!  I received a copy of this book from the publisher and have been saving it to read until closer to the release date.  This book releases in January so I'm ready to finally crack it open and jump in.  I'm in the mood for a good thriller so I'm excited to begin!

I'm off to relax for the day!  I just want to wish all of you a wonderful year in 2019!  Thank you for always stopping by and commenting - and just being my reading friends!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (November 19th)

"It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date."

It has been awhile folks!  Life just doesn't slow down really when you have three kids even when you expect it to.  Alas, I'm perfectly okay with this and am just now trying to figure out ways for next year to be different.  I'm not ready to give up blogging - I love sharing my thoughts on books too much.  And honestly, I really enjoy being able to go back and read my thoughts on a book years later.  I think my plan is to call 2018 blogging a wash and start fresh in the new year.  I have a couple of reviews I still plan on sharing with you so I won't be completely silent here the next month and half.  But I just think that I'm going to start working ahead and prescheduling posts for next year.  Maybe then I won't have only three posts a month or go weeks without blogging at all.  Ha!  Who knows if that will really happen but it still will be fun to try and get ahead.  I've got plenty of reviews waiting to be written - some of those I will post in the next month or so (just not regularly) and the rest I will save for the new year.  So there are my blogging plans in a nutshell!  I'm not going to lie - I'm already starting to think about reading plans in the new year as well.  LOL!

Reading wise, I've really slowed down these past two months dramatically.  According to Goodreads I'm about four books behind schedule with my reading challenge - I've been ahead all year until now. I'm not too worried about it because really what can you do?  I'm not as fast of a reader as some and I'm perfectly okay with that.  Not much else is new bookwise.  I'm still checking out WAY too many books from the library.  I'm still adding books to my TBR list on an almost daily basis.  And I'm still enjoying reading although I was starting to slump there for awhile (hence, the drop in the number of books I've been reading).  I don't think I'm going to attempt to catch you up on all of the books I've read since my last reading update - instead I'm just going to share with you the books that I'm currently reading and what I finished last.

I'm currently reading the following books:

Can you tell I was in a reading slump?  I NEVER read four books at a time to be honest but here I am.  I'm off this entire week so I'm really hoping to finish up a couple of these but only time will tell.

A Duke Changes Everything by Christy Carlyle is my current print read and a review copy courtesy of the publisher.  I needed a change of pace from the mysteries and thrillers so I'm excited to read this one.  I've just barely begun it so I'll keep you posted on my thoughts.

It's a Charmed Life (The Grimm Files) by Selene Charles is my current kindle read thanks to Kindle Unlimited (of which I'm trying thanks to a great deal for the next three months).  I'm loving this one so far!  I don't even know how to explain this one or describe it - it has characters from all of the Disney movies you know and love but is so much darker.  I am so glad that I heard about this one and that there is another book for me to look forward to after this!

Watch the Girls by Jennifer Wolfe is a book that I stopped reading only because it was due back at the library and I couldn't finish in time.  I instantly put it back on hold and just picked it back up this past week.  I'm ready to dive back in as it has been really good so far, but I want to focus on finishing up one of the above two books first.

In The Darkest Hour by Anna Carlisle is a NetGalley review copy that is currently languishing on my Kindle.  I loved the first two books in this series but this one just hasn't pulled me in.  It could be because I was trying to read it right in the middle of my reading slump - or maybe it was part of what put me in my reading slump.  I'm not really sure so I moved on to It's a Charmed Life and will be going back to this one afterwards to try again.

I just finished reading:

Too Far Gone by Allison Brennan was such an enjoyable read.  I read this one as part of an upcoming book tour so my thoughts will be posted on it soon.  I've never read anything in this series but I definitely plan on reading more now!  I love when I find new series to read and follow like this!

Up Next:

I'm not too sure what I will read after these four books but these two are currently calling my name the loudest.  Or my mood will change and I will read something completely different (that's what usually happens with me being such a moody reader).

One's a library book and one is the next KU book that I've downloaded to read.  It has been fun chatting with all of you again!  I'm off to work around the house a bit and get ready for Thanksgiving.

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #52 (Football Fun Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

It's football Sunday folks!  This is absolutely my most favorite time of the year.  I love the beginning of fall with the changing temps.  I love sweatshirt weather and the leaves changing colors.  And I adore watching football on Sundays relaxing with the family.  There is nothing better in my opinion!  This has a been a very busy but really great weekend.  Friday night we drove a little over an hour away to watch my oldest play football.  It was pouring down rain by the time we got there and it didn't stop.  It was still a really great time and the only way I wanted to spend my birthday.  Yesterday we spent the day at my daughter's first fall softball tournament.  They played hard and it another perfect way to spend my day!  Today I took the youngest to baseball practice and am now curled up in bed relaxing for the afternoon in between loads of laundry.  I wouldn't change weekends like this for anything in the world!  Otherwise not much else is new.  We've started to develop a routine with the school days and getting everybody everywhere they need to be.  It rained almost every day last week but the rain helped cool it down some which made it feel more like fall was coming.  I sure do love this time of year!

Reading wise, I've been plugging away and reading some really great books.  I'm STILL two books ahead with my Goodread's reading goal which never fails to surprise me on the weeks where I feel like I haven't finished a book in days.  I'm working on catching up on book reviews but the motivation to write said reviews ebbs and flows.  LOL!  I do have a lot of books that I would really like to share my thoughts on so it's something I will work on.  Here is what I've finished since my last reading update (please note that was two weeks ago-ish):

When a Duke Loves a Woman by Lorraine Heath - I've actually already shared my thoughts on this one so check out my review here.  Short and sweet version - I enjoyed my time with this book immensely and found it to be almost like a comfort read for me.  I need to fit more historical romances into my reading life!

The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd - I've also written up my thoughts on this one as well!  Check them out here.  In a nutshell - I enjoyed this one until the end which left me wanting to say the least.  I will definitely read more by this author but the ending just really detracted a bit from my overall reading experience.

The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber - This is the beginning to a historical mystery series that I'm so excited to have found.  I've been seeing the last book in this series around lately and decided to give this book a try.  It was such an enjoyable read and now I cannot wait to get my hands on book two.  I need to work on writing up my thoughts on this one soon but I can definitely recommend it if you enjoy historical mysteries!

Caged by Ellison Cooper - OH MY GOODNESS!  This book was so good and I have no words for it right now.  I can tell you that this is going in the books as a five star read.  It was everything that I love in a mystery plus so much more.  I will be sharing my thoughts on this one as well so expect a lot of gushing in that review.  SO GOOD - that's all I really need to say!

I'm now currently reading the following:

Death Over Easy by Maddie Day is the 5th installment in one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  I just started it earlier this morning but already have a good chunk of it read thanks to baseball practice.  It's good so far and I'm looking forward to diving back into it later this afternoon.

I don't have much else scheduled for today besides watching football and eating lots of yummy snacks.  The Bears play tonight so the entire family is pretty excited for that!  I have to tell you that my youngest son's flag football team this year is the Packers.  Obviously this has caused him some major stress as we are all die hard Bears fans.  It has taken him a lot of convincing on my part that just for his games we can cheer them on.  Hahahaha!  To be eight again- I think he's okay with it now but he refuses to wear his jersey to school on Friday's for the games.  I figure I'll pick my battles and that definitely isn't one of them.  I'm off to work on those towering laundry piles yet again though...

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!